Schlüsselwörter:

Interaction and dialogue? A quantitative content analysis of political parties’ activities on Twitter and Facebook during German state election campaigns 2011

Abstract

The present study examines post-2009 developments on political social media communication in Germany. 2011 presented itself as an ideal period of investigation, as seven new state parliaments were elected in this year – both in largely agricultural and rural states with comparatively low population density (e.g. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), heavily populated city states with a modern, urban electorate (e.g. Hamburg and Berlin), and states with several regional and local centres (such as Rhineland-Palatinate or Baden-Württemberg). The total of seven cases provided sufficient variance for a cross-sectional study. In all seven state election campaigns, the social media communication of six parties was examined. In spite of the heterogeneous results of the study, clear trends are evident: All political parties are especially active immediately prior to the election. A connection between a party’s political orientation and its activity on social media could not be shown. A tendency towards mobilization is seen at for all parties. In some cases they can actually promote participation and interaction, but never achieve a sustainable dialogue with interested citizens.

Koopmans, R., & Zimmermann, A. (2010). Transnational political communication on the internet. In R. Koopmans & P. Statham (Hrsg.), The making of a European public sphere (S. 171–194). New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar

Schweitzer, E. J. (2012). The Mediatization of E-Campaigning: Evidence Form German Party Websites in state, national and European Parliamentary Elections 2002-2009. Journal of Computer mediated Communication,17, 283–302.CrossRefGoogle Scholar